Irish Presidential Election 2025

[dahamsta]

Whats the back story to this? Has the tenant being sitting in the wings waiting for the day that Gavin ran for public office to bring this out? It is all a bit weird

I've been a tenant, and if I had the chance to mess up one of the two landlords that messed me up, I'd take great pleasure in it. One of these days....

And the tenant had plenty of other chances in the past 16 years to pursue a claim.

I'm afraid I've no idea where I read it, but apparently they did make an effort. I lost part or all of my deposit to two landlords and they had all the power then, that's why the RTB exists.

But ultimately yes, he dodged out of it before the real stuff came out, no bout a doubt it. I mean, this is Fianna Fail we're talking about.

[tetsujin1979]

The tenant's then-partner posted on(and later deleted from) twitter that she had tried to sell the story to a paper when he was Dublin manager, but it was spiked

[CraftyToePoke]

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025...donald-tenant/


Deputy Editor of the Sunday World Niall Donald has confirmed that he was the former tenant owed money by former presidential candidate for Fianna Fáil Jim Gavin.

His confirmation follows a report in the Irish Independent that a tenant in a property Mr Gavin owned 16 years ago did not receive a refund they had sought after an overpayment of rent amounting to €3,300.

Mr Gavin withdrew from the contest last Sunday.

Speaking on the Crime World podcast with host Nicola Tallant, he said that "loads of people" knew about his history with Mr Gavin.

By the time the Presidential Election came about, he said every person who knew him had heard the story.

While relaying it in the office, which is shared with the Independent and Sunday Independent members of the political staff asked for more detail.

"Every time Dublin won an All-Ireland or whatever, people would say, "Oh, there's your mate Jim Gavin."

While he admitted he could have written a story during the height of Mr Gavin's career as Dublin Manager, he said he had no desire to do so, as it had nothing to do with being a landlord or running the country.

"If you've ever been in those circumstances where you know, you feel that you've been ripped off, like it gives you this feeling of being powerless, and you know, I was really struggling financially. That's the truth of it."

He recently learned that the apartment he rented was given back to the bank.

He said he was frustrated when a statement was issued that Mr Gavin had no recollection of the incident.

"Like all through those years, like I had a recollection of it and I had a bad feeling about it."

However, he said learning about Mr Gavin's financial difficulties added context, adding that Mr Gavin likely did not have the money to pay him back at the time.

He said he was perplexed as to why he was not contacted a few week's ago to have the matter resolved.

Mr Donald said he called Fianna Fáil on Saturday and said he was unhappy that they had said Mr Gavin could not remember the matter.

He said he did not put it in the Sunday World as he felt it was a conflict of interest.

However, after Mr Gavin partially acknowledged the matter, he said he was amazed to see him take part in Sunday's debate on RTÉ's The Week in Politics.

"I can't understand why they didn't make the decision at that point, one way or another.

"I felt sorry for him on Sunday. I mean, I'm not going to overdo it, but I felt sorry for him because he's under pressure. People make mistakes."

Mr Donald said he moved out of home and rented an apartment in Blackhall Square, in Smithfield, with a friend.

He said they met their landlord, who was "very nice, polite, kind of quiet and shy", and agreed to rent the property.

He added that his friend recognised that the landlord was Mr Gavin, an ex-Dublin footballer.

He added it was a long time ago, and he had "sympathy with Jim Gavin" as he himself did not have the exact dates, but estimated it was around 2007.

By the time the lease was being renewed, Mr Gavin wanted to put up the price, which Mr Donald said he did not have an issue with.

Mr Donald's friend eventually moved out, and Mr Donald's partner at the time moved in.

Rental payments were being conducted via a standing order, and whatever way they were changed, Mr Donald said he ended up with two standing orders.

So, he had two sums of money coming out of his account.

He believed rent went up slightly a second time, adding he had very few dealings with Mr Gavin as a landlord.

Mr Donald said he stayed at the residence for about two-and-a-half years and moved out at the beginning of May 2009, at which point he cancelled the standing orders for rent.

"I must have cancelled one of the standing orders, and I failed to cancel the other one. So that money was coming out of an account that I didn't check. Now, a normal person probably would check it.

"People can say my stupidity has played a role in it, and they would be 100% right."

Overall, he said the extra money was for €550, including the rental increase and came out of the account from May until November.

Those six months amounted to €3,300.

"That was the full extent of my savings. Let's put it that way. I mean, I didn't have anything else."

Once he realised what had happened, he said he immediately contacted Mr Gavin.

He contacted Mr Gavin, who said he’d look into the matter.

"I'm really sorry for the mistake, but can I have my money back? Basically."

After hearing nothing back, he attempted to contact Mr Gavin again to no avail.

"You expect him to get back to you or whatever. And it didn't happen. And then I phoned him a couple of times, didn't get back, send him emails, send him texts, all that sort of stuff.

"He just stopped answering."

He added, this went on for weeks, going into months.

Mr Donald said he constructed a detailed email to Mr Gavin, which he still has.

He went to the PRTB, where all landlords were supposed to have registered.

Part of that registration, he explained, involved mediation if you had a dispute with your landlord.

"But ultimately I found out it wasn't uh he wasn't registered there."

After about three months of pursuing Mr Gavin, he said they sought advice from a solicitor.

However, Mr Donald did not have Mr Gavin's home address and therefore could not send a letter or go to the property.

During the podcast, Mr Donald read out a portion of the solicitor's letter he sent to Mr Gavin.

"It says, you know, we're instructed, our client now insists and demands immediate and full payment of this entire sum...

"Please note, if the payment of the above mentioned amount is not made within 14 days of this letter, we are instructed to issue proceedings."

He did have his work address, the address of the apartment he had rented, as well as Mr Gavin's parents' address.

He went to Mr Gavin's parents' house and gave them the letter, saying he was a former tenant who wanted to make contact with them.

"And they were really, really nice. They said asked me to step in. They said, Do you want a cup of tea or anything?" And said, "Is there any problem?" I said, "There's no problem. Uh no issue at all. And I won't stay for a cup of tea. Thank you very much. I just want to make sure he gets this letter."

Later that night, Mr Gavin phoned him, and was "irate" that he had called to his parents' house.

"Which I can actually understand. So I wouldn't actually hold that against him at all."

Eventually, he said Mr Gavin calmed down and accepted he owed him the money.

He said he was transferring the sum and it would be in his account shortly.

"And the money just never arrived."

He added that the letter was sent in late February 2010.

Mr Donald added that he had no money at this point in his life.

He made other attempts to contact Mr Gavin, but nothing happened.

Ultimately, he did not take proceedings.

He confirmed that he has still not been paid back the money.

"I haven't heard anything."

However, he said he would not be pursuing the matter.

"Does the punishment fit the crime? Probably not. I kind of feel sorry for him that he wasn't handled better."

But added, perhaps Fianna Fáil did not have all the information either.

[Nesta99]

Ive had a landlord trawl through an apartment and make 'damaged' list to the exact amount of a deposit, wearing on a ropey old carpet, a front door that was starting to catch at the bottom - tried to claim that it must have been kicked in etc. I was furious , had no recourse, and it still annoys me. I am now a landlord, registered, have had property inspected by Dundalk Town Council with no issues and deposits are in their own account so I wont feel like Im dipping in to my own money if tenants move on and there isnt any issue. I know exactly what the situation has been for every tenant Ive had off the top of my head, bar maybe exact dates and even then I could look things up. I definitely would know if I had an extra €3300 in rent. I know a good lot of landlords get around the RPZ caps by getting cash in hand and if they dont get that then they create some spurious threat for getting rid of tenants. So I tend to think that if 3k is inappropriately witheld the there is good chance there could be more disgruntled people about. I accidently thransferred €200 to Thomann due to a mislabled payee, letters from bank, emails, phonecalls etc and 3 years later Im still furious that they blanked me, while it was my error they were ars€holes about it. I would tell that story if it were ever relevent. In fact foot.ie members, boycott them - that'll show them!!

Sooo i'm quite enjoying the karma aspect of Gavin's aborted campaign. He will have to justify why he witheld info from the due process of being selected, its highly doubtful he could even stand for local or general elections now either. I seriously dislike scumbaggery in the rebtal sector as I pay my way for tenants to live in an appropriate and safe property, its not as if rent is buttons. FF have egg on the face and showed significnt naivety albeit I doubt if they asked the questions that they got an honest answer though all said if its an isolated incident is it a campaign buster? So why quit. Many questioned why Bertie was overlooked, imagine the what scrutiny could turn up there!! Hanafin might have been the better option for FF.

The abuse that Gavin and his family have recieved is pretty awful, preceeded this revelation, and a sad reflection on significant aspects of society. Dislike a person or party's politics but leave family and threats out of it.

Im quite surprised at opinion polls having Connolly ahead tbh. Yesterdays budget (which I generally thought was prudent if far from perfect) could influence things imo, a protest vote against a govt. candidate type of thing. Loss of Gavin's transfers could make it tough for Humphreys. I have also had a few conversations with people stating that they are going to spoil their vote, write Steen on the ballot or something, so advancing the chances of a left candidate because there isnt a more right wing candidate.....